


Callouses and Wild Flowers

by greeneyedwitch16



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Ginny Weasley-centric, Post-Hogwarts, Professor Neville Longbottom, Quidditch Player Ginny Weasley
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:08:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25022176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeneyedwitch16/pseuds/greeneyedwitch16
Summary: The war was over and Voldemort had been defeated. Ginny Weasley was living the dream as a professional chaser and in a relationship with her long-time crush. She was supposed to be happy so why was she miserable in her cold apartment? Sometimes things that start out well don't end up that way. Sometimes you need a fresh start.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Callouses and Wild Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I know I haven't finished writing the Crimson Curse but I just had this story in my mind for the past few weeks so I had to sit down and write it. I just love Ginny's character a lot and wish she was done more justice in the movies and books. I am a Harry/Ginny shipper myself and love Harry so really no hate to him at all. I just wanted to explore some themes and emotions I've been feeling so please don't take this the wrong way. This is basically my love letter to Ginny and Luna; I just love them so so much. Happy reading!

“That’s right, Ginny. You just have to give yourself over to me, then it’ll all be over.”

I woke up with a start, sweat dotting my forehead, eyes wet with tears. I sniffled quietly and wiped at my eyes, trying to breathe deeply to control my rapid heartbeat. Merlin, my black cat meowed softly at me and curled up on my lap. I pet his head softly, trying to forget the piercing stare of Tom Riddle from my nightmare. I stared at the other side of my bed, which was cool to the touch, indicating that my boyfriend hadn’t come home while I was asleep.

I sighed and heaved myself out of bed, setting Merlin down on the floor who immediately padded out of the room. The kitchen lit up with a quick flick of my wand as I walked over to the cabinet to pour myself a glass of water. I gulped down the cold water and looked at the clock in the living room, which read 4:55 am.

‘Not enough time for me to go back to sleep,’ I thought, putting the glass away. ‘I might as well head out to the field early.’

I brushed my teeth and splashed cold water on my face, attempting to wash away the last dregs of sleep. I pulled on a maroon Gryffindor jumper but stopped half-way as I recognized the scent of fresh pine that clung to the jumper. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to inhale the familiar scent of my boyfriend, then pulled off the garment and tossed it into the laundry basket. On another day, I would’ve happily worn Harry’s jumper but today I needed some space. I didn’t need another reminder that I hadn’t met him in two weeks and had barely exchanged any messages. I pulled on my dark green Holyhead Harpies jumper and tried to brush my long, red hair, but gave up, frustrated, and charmed it into a braid.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, taking in the gauntness of my features. The dark circles seemed especially prominent today and my normally clear light brown eyes were bloodshot. There was a scar running down my left cheek and a fading bruise on my cheekbone from a fall during a match a few days ago. I considered applying some of the muggle makeup Hermione had given me but decided against it. These were my teammates; I didn’t care about my appearance in front of them.

I grabbed my bag and broom from the closet and pulled on my shoes. Reaching down to pet Merlin, who was lounging on the couch, I walked out of my apartment and pulled the door closed behind me. I pulled out my wand as I took a deep breath of the cool morning air and turned on the spot.

\----------X-----X----------

The grass was wet under me; I could feel the cold seeping into my skin as I lay panting, staring at the sky above. I was tired and my body was aching. I was really starting to regret coming to practice early.

“You gotta hydrate, Weasley. Come on get up and drink this,” said a voice above me.

I opened my eyes and squinted at the pretty face of our captain, Elsie Williams. Her blonde hair was sparkling against the bright sky, making it seem like a glowing halo. She was holding out a bottle of water with a smile on her face; maybe Elsie was an angel.

I sat up and gratefully took the bottle from Elsie. I gulped down half of it and relished the sensation of the cool liquid running down my parched throat. I felt Elsie settle down next to me on the grass and looked over at the older girl.

“You did well today, Ginny, you always do well. But I know your heart wasn’t in it,” Elsie said, lightly touching my shoulder. “If things are tough, if there’s stuff going on, you can always take a day off practice, you know that, right? Practices now are just a way to keep the team together.”

Elsie’s features were pulled into a frown, concern shining in her gray eyes.

“Of course, Elsie,” I replied, nodding. “I just didn’t sleep properly last night, that’s all. You know how it is sometimes. I’ll take better care of myself.”

Satisfied, Elsie patted my shoulder and got up, “Go on, take a shower and rest up now.”

She started to walk away but turned around suddenly, “Oh I almost forgot! You’ve got a letter. An owl just came and dropped it on the benches near your bag.”

I frowned and got up, dusting my pants, ‘Why would someone send a me a letter here and not to the apartment?’ I smiled at Elsie, “Thanks for telling me, Elsie! See you!"

I jogged up to the benches, smiling at my teammates who were packing up. Sure enough, there was a bright yellow envelope lying on top of my quidditch bag. I picked it up and sucked in a breath as I recognized the looping letters that formed my name. I carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the parchment and began to read:

Dear Ginny,

I hope you’ve been well. I know it’s been a long time since we last spoke, which is probably my fault since I was so busy. I had so much fun traveling around Europe, especially in Finland where I saw a huge family of moon frogs. Did you know their skin shines brightly under a full moon? It’s part of their mating ritual apparently, which was simply fascinating to watch. I’m hoping to write about them in the next issue of the Quibbler, but I have to write about the nargles first. There was simply too much to discover during my travels and not enough time to write about it.

But enough about my adventures. I’m writing to you because I’m going to be back in London soon, probably by the end of the week. It’s been almost six months since we met and now that I’ll be back in town soon, I was hoping we could meet up for dinner? I know you have practice and are probably very busy, but I would really love to meet you, Ginny. Please owl me as soon as you can!

All my love,

Luna

I read the letter again then sat down heavily on the bench. I unconsciously rubbed at the red sea-shell pendant that Luna had given me at Hogwarts when the war had ended.

“I found this on the beach at Shell Cottage,” she had said. “I’d never seen a red so bright and it reminded me of you, so I thought it would look pretty as a necklace. I thought you’d like it?”

I thought back to the night of Luna’s farewell party Neville and I had thrown her before she left for her travels across Europe. I thought back to how pretty she had looked with her silvery hair braided around her head in a tiara. I thought of her bright and beautiful laugh, her blue eyes crinkling at the sides. I thought of her taking my calloused hands in her soft ones, marveling at the stark difference.

I rubbed at my temples as I sighed heavily. Meeting Luna after everything would be difficult but I knew I wanted to meet my best friend again. I put the letter back in the envelope and started packing up. I knew I had to write to Luna soon, but I had to meet someone first.

\----------X-----X----------

I apparated onto the streets of Hogsmeade with a crack and immediately felt a gust of wind blow my hair into my face. I pulled my coat more firmly around myself and hurried down the road. I exhaled a sigh of relief as I stepped into the warmth of The Three Broomsticks, rubbing my palms together in an attempt to get warm. I looked around and saw a black-haired man waving at me. I smiled as I walked up to him and pulled him into a hug.

“Thanks for meeting me on such short notice,” I said stepping back, looking at the smiling face of Neville Longbottom.

“You know I’m always dying for a drink, Ginny,” he replied, sitting down.

I took off my coat and scarf and took a seat in front of him.

“So you’re here just for the free drinks then?” I exclaimed, a scandalous look on my face. “And here I was under the impression that we were friends, Nev. You wound me.”

Neville let out a barking laugh, “Yep you got me, Ginny. I’m here just for the free drinks. You’re just tolerable company.”

I laughed, looking fondly at my best friend. Neville’s hair had grown out a bit since term had started so along with the bags under his eyes, he looked more tired than usual.

“The kids aren’t treating you well, Professor Longbottom?” I asked, slightly concerned.

Neville shook his head, smiling. “It’s not the kids, they’ve quite wonderful. I really love the first years, they’re so cute and excited. I’ve actually been trying to grow a new strain of gurdyroot but it’s proving to be harder than I thought.”

I nodded, choosing to ignore my confusion about gurdyroots because I knew one question would be enough to start Neville on an unending explanation about his current obsession. On a regular night out, I would’ve indulged him, mostly because his excitement was infectious and made me laugh, but today I needed to talk to him.

After we had ordered our drinks and food, Neville turned to me, watching me carefully.

“I know you love me, Ginny, but I also know that you didn't come all the way here to drink with me on a weeknight just because you miss me,” he said, leaning forward. “Something’s the matter, innit? Is it Harry, did something happen with him?”

“Something’s always happening with Harry, you know that, Neville.” I sighed and rubbed my eyes tiredly, “It’s not Harry that’s bothering me right now. Luna wrote to me today. She said she’s coming back at the end of the week and wants to have dinner with me.”

I watched Neville’s shoulders fall as he sat back.

“I’m surprised she wrote to you,” he said, frowning. “She had written to me a few days ago saying she was coming back. She asked me about you, just sort of checking in, but I didn’t think she’d actually write to you.”

“She wrote to me, yeah, I can’t believe it either. She even apologized for not being in touch, as if that’s her fault!” I said, irritated.

“Did you write back to her then? You’re going to meet her right?” Neville asked, looking at me imploringly.

I shook my head, “I’m not sure Neville. I mean, what do I even say to her? Sorry I broke your heart but I still want to be your friend?”

“Ginny, what happened is not your fault, okay—” Neville started.

“Of course it’s my fault, Neville!” I exclaimed. “I should’ve realized her feelings sooner and let her down easy.”

“Ginny, that’s not fair,” Neville said softly, reaching across the table to take my hand. “You can’t have known what she was feeling. I didn’t know either, not until she told me, you know?”

“She was my best friend,” I whispered, looking up at Neville. “She was my best friend and I broke her heart.”

Just then the waiter came with our drinks and food. I let go of Neville’s hand and took several gulps of firewhiskey, letting it burn down my throat.

“Ginny you can’t force feelings,” said Neville, taking a much slower, smaller sip of his firewhiskey. “She knew what she was doing when she told you. I know she wants to be friends again; she wouldn’t have written to you otherwise. You mean a lot to her, Ginny, you know that right?”

“I know she wants to be my friend again, Nev, but I don’t know if I deserve that,” I said, tracing my finger around the rim of my bottle. “I’m so scared I’ll mess things up. What if I fuck up again, Nev?”

He took my hand again, rubbing soft circles with his thumb, “You won’t fuck anything up, Ginny. You care about her, correct?”

I nodded, staring at our hands.

“Then you won’t fuck it up,” said Neville, firmly. “She wasn’t ever mad at you; she just needed some time. If she’s coming back and wants to talk to you, then I think she’s ready to try being friends again. You should give her a chance.”

“You’re right,” I agreed, giving him a small smile. “If she’s opening up to me again, I should give her a chance. I’ll think about it, alright?”

Neville smiled and gave my hand a squeeze, then took a huge swig of his firewhiskey.

“I’m so glad you both are working things out, Ginny. I’m tired of my best friends not talking to each other.”

I smiled apologetically at him, “I’m sorry about that; I know it must’ve been hard for you, having to take care of us individually. But I’ll make it up to you. We’ll hang out together soon, hopefully.”

He held up his bottle and clinked it against mine, “Hopefully is good enough for me.”

After paying for the meal, we walked out into the cool night air. I tugged at the scarf around my neck and shoved my hands into my pockets as the wind whistled by.

“How’re things with Harry? I hear he’s been working on a pretty big case,” asked Neville.

I sighed and looked down at the long shadows cast by the amber streetlights.

“He’s been too busy. So busy that I haven’t actually talked to him in two weeks. I know he’s got work to do but I’d like it if he came home sometime, or at least wrote to me, you know?”

“He hasn’t even been home? In a week?” asked Neville, his voice tinged with anger.

“It’s a big case I’m sure,” I shrugged, trying to be nonchalant.

“But he didn’t even come when you got hurt at the match, Ginny!” seethed Neville, stopping me in my tracks with a hand on my arm. “You broke your cheekbone and had to go to St Mungo’s, and you’re telling me he hasn’t even come to see you?”

“I didn’t _break_ my cheekbone, Neville, I just bruised it, okay? Plus, Ron came to see me, and he said Harry wanted to come too but couldn’t because he was very busy,” I said, slightly exasperated. “They’re dealing with a high-profile client, so they’ve honestly been working without breaks, alright? It was a small injury, nothing to panic about. I’m sure he’ll come home once he’s done with the case.”

“He should at least write to you, Ginny. You’re his girlfriend for crying out loud!” he yelled.

“I know that, alright, Neville? I know I’m his sodding girlfriend and I know he should write to me, but he hasn’t, okay? I can’t fucking help that he’s the goddamn savior of the wizarding world and has more important things to attend to than my stupid sodding arse, alright? So can you just drop it already?” I yelled back at him, my voice cracking.

Neville stared at me for a few moments before he let out a breath and put his arms around me.

“I’m sorry for shouting, Ginny,” he whispered. “You’re my friend and I’m just worried about you. I know you love Harry and I know he’s a good guy; I just want you to be happy.”

“I’m sorry I shouted too, Nev,” I mumbled into his coat, putting my arms around his waist. “I’m just a bit stressed and I miss him. We’ll work it out, don’t worry.”

I felt warm in Neville’s embrace; I remembered dancing with him at the Yule Ball years ago. I realized that he was right, not just about Luna but about Harry as well – I needed to work things out with both of them. I hugged him tighter and smiled softly; I knew meeting him would make me feel better.

We stood like that for a few more minutes before pulling back. We said goodbye with a kiss on the cheek before parting ways. I watched him walk up the street towards the big looming castle until I couldn’t see him anymore. I stared at the castle I had once called home and couldn’t help but remember the turrets in flames as the final battle raged throughout the school. My brother’s body lying in the great hall amidst countless others, his face smiling but his eyes cold and lifeless. My lower lip quivered as I turned away and disapparated home.

\----------X-----X----------

I scratched my quill through the sentence and crumpled the parchment into a ball, throwing it away with a scream of frustration. Merlin meowed at me indignantly, probably angry at me for ruining his nap. I stuck out my tongue at him as he curled up on his mat once again, unbothered about my irritation. I held my head in my hands as I stared tiredly at the crumpled heap of parchments on my desk. I had been trying for the past half an hour trying to write a response to Luna but hadn’t been able to get past three sentences. I rubbed the seashell pendant, wondering what I should even say to her after everything I had done.

Luna had understood me better than anyone else, perhaps even myself. No one could have predicted that we would’ve become friends because how could this new oddball girl be friends with the fierce Weasley sister? Her quirky habits and beliefs were annoying and crazy to some, but I found them endlessly endearing. My temper, which tended to flare up with everyone else, seemed to quiet down to a soft hum when I was around her.

I thought back to one night in my fourth year when I was wandering around the halls of Hogwarts, unable to stay in bed as nightmares plagued my sleep. I had found Luna hidden in an alcove crying softly as she stared up at the moon through the window. I remember staring at her, awestruck by her beauty, because bathed in moonlight she looked like a fairy. She was wearing just one bright red shoe, her other foot bare on the cold stone floor. Spotting me staring, she tried to quickly wipe away her tears and hide her feet under her white nightgown.

“The moon’s quite pretty today,” she whispered, pointing at the window. “I was just admiring it.”

I shoved my hands in the pockets of my ratty dressing gown and nodded at her feet, “Did someone steal your shoes again?” Students in our year were rather immature and tended to pick on Luna for being different. Stealing her things was not the meanest thing they had done to her but seeing her crying like this made my blood boil.

She nodded quietly, pulling the sleeves of her nightgown down to cover her fingers. The nightgown was big on her, and with her feet and hands hidden under it, she seemed to drown in the fabric. She looked small, but I knew that under the tears, she was strong. Anyone who could start at Hogwarts after being home-schooled for their whole life and put up with stupid kids’ bullying had to be strong.

“I’m not too sleepy so if you want I can help you look for the other shoe?” I suggested, hopeful.

Her eyes lit up as her face broke into a dazzling smile. I sucked in a breath and stared at her as she excitedly got up.

“Thank you so much Ginny!” she said, tugging my hand out of my pocket. “I’m used to everyone’s antics but these shoes are kind of special to me. You see these were the last gift my mum gave me before she died five years ago so I was upset that they hid one of them.”

My eyes widened as I struggled to think of a response. I didn’t want her to think I pitied her by saying I was sorry but I was at a loss of what to say instead.

Sensing my hesitation, she laughed, “You’re wondering how they still fit me, right? My mum was an excellent witch. She charmed them so that they would resize to always fit my feet. See?” she said, holding up her foot. Sure enough, the shoe fit perfectly.

“Wow, Luna that’s a really cool charm!” I said, genuinely impressed. “We’ll find the other shoe; we’ve got all night!”

“Let’s go!” she exclaimed, tugging my hand into hers.

I smiled at her and interlaced our fingers. I watched her white blonde hair flowing behind her in waves, nightgown billowing around her ankles. I laughed, happy, and let her pull me down the hall.

And just like that, Luna had pulled me into her world. Just like that, we’d become friends. Luna was patient and kind, listened to my fears and nightmares that wouldn’t leave me, even indulged my quidditch obsession. I would in turn listen to her tales of invisible, mystical creatures that she was sure existed. Sprinkled in these stories were fragments of her childhood, including her mother’s horrifying death. I started spending more time with her, making sure to prank her bullies with a variety of Fred and George’s inventions. In between quiet nights walking around Hogwarts looking for daberblimps and sunny afternoons making flower crowns by the Great Lake, we formed an unwavering friendship.

After spending almost six months without her, I was starting to realize just how much I had missed Luna. No matter what had happened between us, she had extended me an olive branch with her letter, and I was not going to burn it down.

I reached for another parchment and started writing:

Dear Luna,

I’m so happy you wrote to me. It's been too long and I should have written to you sooner. I’m happy to hear you’re coming back to London and yes, I’d love to meet you. We can meet at The Witch’s Brew for dinner on Friday, around 7pm? I’m glad your travels were fun; I can’t wait to hear about them when we meet. I'm very happy to hear you’re doing well Luna; I’ve missed you. See you soon!

Love,

Ginny

I folded up the parchment and hurriedly stuffed it in an envelope. I scribbled Luna’s name on the front and ran to my room. My owl, Blinky, started flapping her wings excitedly as she saw me approach her cage.

“Are you excited for a flight, Blinky?” I asked her sweetly, opening her cage and holding out the letter for her to take. “Please take this to Luna Lovegood, dear.”

She took the letter in her beak and hopped out of her cage, leaped out of the window, and disappeared into the dark night.

I turned around and stared at my empty bed, the quilt rumpled on one side but completely undisturbed on the other. I remembered saving up for almost six months to buy a queen-sized mattress so Harry could stay over at night. I remember the first time we had sex in this bed, clutching at these same sheets as I came undone under the gaze of green eyes.

I sucked in a huge breath and ripped away the sheets from the mattress. I dumped them into the laundry and took out the white blanket I had brought with me from the Burrow from the closet. I dumped it on my couch along with my pillow and lay down, pulling the blanket over me until I was engulfed in the soft downy material. I felt Merlin climb up on the couch and snuggle on top of the blanket near my stomach. I smiled softly and closed my eyes, feeling warm in my apartment for the first time in weeks. I fell asleep that night not to visions of mangled bodies and bloodied walls, but silvery moonlit hair and tinkling laughter.

\----------X-----X----------

I smoothed down my sweater, picking out a stray thread from the fabric. I had spent the better part of the last hour trying to decide an outfit for my dinner with Luna and after much deliberation, I had decided on a dark green sweater and wide leg black pants. I had attempted to put on some makeup but after almost poking my eye out with the eyeliner, I had settled for some mascara and maroon lipstick. I fastened the clasp to the long key necklace and wore my favorite quaffle earrings. I stared at my reflection in the mirror with scrutiny, trying to pick out any flaws in my appearance. My face was marred by the scar on my cheek and my nose was slightly bent to the left from a particularly rough quidditch match last year. My cheeks were dusted with brown freckles, an unfortunate side-effect of my redheaded ancestry. I twirled the lose strands of hair that framed my hair and thought, not for the first time, of how much I hated my red hair.

My long red hair made me stand out as the youngest and only Weasley daughter, fierce and hot-tempered, a powerful witch and a formidable opponent on the quidditch pitch. But even with these accomplishments, the sad truth remained that for the boy I loved, I was always the second choice.

I shook my head and crouched down to lace up my black combat boots. I secured a black scarf firmly around my neck and pulled on my leather jacket. Looking once again in the mirror, I smiled at my reflection. I didn’t dress up often but in my leather jacket and boots, I felt more confident than I had in a long time. I grabbed my wand and wallet from the table and blew Merlin a quick kiss as I walked out of my apartment.

As I apparated onto the streets of Diagon Alley, I almost bumped into a bustling, older witch. I apologized quickly and stepped out of her way as she hurried down the street. I stepped into The Witch’s Brew, a quaint bistro that had opened a year after the war along with many other shops in the alley. George had also reopened his and Fred’s jokeshop and was now running it quite contentedly with Ron. We all felt Fred’s loss every day, George more that anyone else, but somehow Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes had helped us all stay connected to him.

The waitress showed me to a booth by the window and left with my order of wine. I looked across the restaurant at a group of friends laughing a few tables away and thought inexplicably of the countless times I had come here with Neville and Luna. The three of us had formed an unlikely friendship, which had only been strengthened by our constant rebellions against the Carrows during my sixth year at Hogwarts. Luna’s departure had left not just a gaping hole in my life but had impacted our friendship greatly too.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as I heard someone calling my name; I looked up to see Luna smiling at me. I drew in a quick breath as I took in Luna’s appearance, the clamor of the bistro falling away. She was wearing a pale-yellow knit dress with a bright blue ribbon that accentuated her slim waist. Her coat was equally bright blue, which would seem too much for an autumn evening, but it suited Luna. Even in the cold, she glowed like the sun. Her white blonde hair fell around her shoulders in ringlets, which were held away from her face with a blue hairclip. Her normally pale face was tanned, hinting at her outdoor adventures, but her blue eyes held the same sparkle I remembered from the first time I had met her.

I got out of my booth quickly and smiled, pulling her into a tight hug. As she put her arms around me, I realized with a pang that it had been almost six months since I last hugged my best friend. I closed my eyes and inhaled her flowery scent; she still smelled like the pretty wildflowers that grew on the hills near our childhood homes.

I pulled back to look at her, still keeping my arms around her, my eyes flitting from her butterfly earrings to her pink lips, shinning with lip gloss.

“Luna,” I whispered, “I’ve missed you so much. I’m so happy you’re back.”

Luna smiled and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. “I’ve missed you too, Ginny.”

She took a step back, taking off her coat, and sat down in the booth across from where I had been sitting. I quickly shuffled into my seat and watched her settle down, still unable to believe that she was really back.

“How’ve you been, Luna?” I asked tentatively, unsure how to start. “How were your travels?”

“They were really amazing, Ginny. I was able to observe so many creatures it was incredible!” Luna replied excitedly, leaning forward. “I already mentioned the moon frogs in my letter but oh Ginny to see them in front of me was just unbelievable! They really are the most amazing creatures but a simple description doesn’t do them any justice.”

She reached into her bag and pulled out a small green diary, with “Luna Lovegood’s Field Journal” engraved on the front. She flipped through pages full of notes and moving photographs, until she found the one she was looking for.

“Just look at them, Ginny, look at how brightly they shine in the full moonlight!” she exclaimed, pointing at a picture of many glowing toads.

“They only shine under a full moon?” I asked curiously.

Luna nodded. “It’s a part of their mating ritual apparently. The male who shines the brightest wins over the female.”

“They sound like the brighter, less threatening cousins of werewolves, if you ask me,” I quipped.

Luna’s tinkling laughter rung clear through the bistro, her face bright, eyes crinkling at the sides. Her laughter filled me with warmth as I smiled back at her.

We continued to flip through the journal as Luna talked about each creature in great detail, her eyes shining, and I listened attentively with the occasional question or joke. For a while it felt as if the night of the party had never happened and we were simply meeting up at the bistro after work. For a while I reveled in the flow of conversation that always seemed so easy with Luna, forgetting that this was our first conversation in six months. The waitress poured us the wine I had ordered, one that I knew Luna loved as well. As she left the table with our orders, Luna put her journal away and took an appreciative sip of the wine.

“Tell me about you, Ginny,” she said, holding my gaze. “How’ve you been?”

“I’ve been good, you know, busy with quidditch,” I replied, unconsciously reaching up to touch my scar.

“Ah, yes, quidditch,” said Luna, following my hand with her eyes. “I’m sorry about your injury and the match; I know you really wanted to get to the finals.”

“It’s alright,” I shrugged noncommittally. “The referees have always had it out for us. Those old geezers still don’t like that women can hold their own on the pitch.”

Luna nodded emphatically, “I can’t believe they didn’t give Thacker a foul for that, I mean, he swung the bat at you when there was no bludger in sight! Even in your match against the Cannons, I was appalled when they didn’t do anything to Harris when he flew into your captain like that! And what about in your first match…” she trailed off, her eyes wide and blush rising on her cheeks, as she noticed that I was staring at her open-mouthed.

Something cold curled in my chest, a contrast to the warmth of the wine, as I realized that even though she had been gone for so long, she had kept tabs on me. She had kept up with my matches, my injuries, my life, while I had done nothing to reach out to her. Even though we sat across from each other, I felt the vast distance between us. Luna had always intended on maintaining our friendship; I was the one who had given up.

*********

“Ginny, can you come here for a bit?”

I looked back at Luna, my drink sloshing, and saw her leaning against the kitchen counter. She was biting the inside of her cheek, something she only did when she was anxious. I gulped down the rest of my firewhiskey and excused myself from Dean and Seamus’s conversation about the coolest wizarding fireworks.

Luna took my hand and led me through the living room and onto the front porch of the Burrow. She worried her lip anxiously, holding my gaze as if contemplating her words carefully.

“Ginny,” she started, “I need to tell you something.”

I tried to clear my head of the alcohol-induced haze and focus on Luna. Clearly something was bothering her a lot. I nodded, giving her hand an encouraging squeeze.

“Ginny, I know we’ve been friends for many years now and I’m truly so grateful for your friendship. We’ve been through a lot and you really are my best friend.” She paused to take a deep breath, “But the truth is that you’ve never been just a friend to me. I’ve liked you for a while now. No, not just liked, I’ve loved you, Ginny, I love you. In every way that someone can be loved.”

My eyes widened in shock as I stared at Luna, dumbstruck. “Luna, I don’t understand–”

“I know you’re with Harry and I don’t want to come in the middle of that,” she pressed on, talking fast. “I’ve just loved you for such a long time and I know you don'y reciprocate my feelings, which is fine, it really is. I never told you because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. I love you but I value our friendship above everything else. I thought I could handle my feelings and still be friends, but I just need some time away.”

I looked at her, horrified. “Luna you’re leaving because of me? I thought you had gotten a travel grant from the ministry! You don’t have to leave because of me, Luna, you can’t leave, please!” I begged her hysterically, clutching at her arms.

Luna shook her head. “I did get the grant from the ministry, but they expected me to go next year. I just expedited the process because I need some time.” She smiled at me sadly, eyes shining with unshed tears. “I’m leaving for myself, Ginny. You’ve been nothing but sweet and kind to me, I mean look at this party! I want to be a good friend to you, Ginny, and I can’t do that right now; not with these feelings.”

She brushed my cheek, wiping away the tears I didn’t know had slipped out. She put her arms around my shoulders and pulled me close. I clung to her, desperately, crying softly into her hair.

“Luna, please tell me how I can fix this,” I sniffled. “There must be a way, please, you don’t have to leave.”

I felt Luna tuck her face into my neck and whispered quietly, “I need to do this for myself, Ginny. I promise you haven’t done anything wrong, and I promise you I’ll come back. I just need some time, that’s all. You’re my best friend, Ginny, I’ll come back to you.”

I tightened my arms around her and held her as sobs wracked my body. I felt numb from the alcohol and Luna’s confession. How was I supposed to live without her? How could have I not known? What was I supposed to do?

“I’ll hold you to that promise, Luna,” I cried. “Promise me you’ll come back to me.”

*********

I felt months of misery and pain suddenly hit me, settling down on my chest like a heavy, stifling weight. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I felt regret well up in my throat.

“Luna, I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “It was all my fault; I should’ve known and I should’ve done better. I’m so sorry, Luna, please forgive me.”

Luna reached across the table to take my hand, rough and calloused, in her smaller, soft ones.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Ginny. I couldn’t stop my feelings; I just had to tell you because I’d kept it in for so long,” she said, tears in her eyes mirroring mine. “I just had to leave but I promised you I’d come back, didn’t I?”

I nodded, trying to hold back the sob that threatened to tear itself from my throat.

“I promised you I’d come back so here I am,” she continued, smiling softly. “I hadn’t been a good friend to you, Ginny, because I was always expecting more. I wanted more from you when I knew you didn’t feel the same way.”

“But then I should have known and done something about it, Luna!” I exclaimed. “I should’ve done better, I should’ve paid more attention to you, I should’ve–”

“No, please don’t do this,” Luna interrupted. “It was not your fault at all. You didn’t return my feelings so I just had to give myself some space and time to get over that. But I’m back now, Ginny, and I promise I’m ready to be a better friend,” she finished firmly.

I stared at Luna, awestruck at the conviction in her voice and the firm set of her mouth. I was reminded of her as a sixth year, bravely standing up to the Carrows along with me and Neville. I felt warmth return to my chest, filling me up as I breathed deeply. Luna was back; my best friend was back. She had kept her promise and had come back to me.

I gave a watery laugh and squeezed her hands, clasped over the table.

“Thank you,” I said, smiling at her. “I’m so happy you’re back, Luna I’ve missed you so much.”

Luna returned my smile, “I’ve missed you too, Ginny. I’m glad I came back.”

I drew my hands back and wiped my tears, laughing slightly, as the waitress brought our food out. We tucked into our meal and conversation flowed smoothly just like before. As I watched Luna laugh heartily at one of my jokes, I felt happy. If I could fix things with Luna, I was sure I could fix things with Harry too. I took a sip of my wine and smiled, feeling lighter than I had in weeks.

**Author's Note:**

> This will probably be only two chapters because I already have an outline of the story done. I haven't been this excited about writing in a long time so I really just had to sit and write this. Let me know what you all think! Take care and stay safe :D


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